By Rabbi Avram Rothman
There is a concept that one should pray from the same spot in Shul on every occasion that they are able to. This is a concept known as “Makon Kavua” or “established place”. It is learned from our forefather Abraham who, the Torah shows, prayed from the same spot repeatedly. In our attempt to make our prayers are meaningful and effective as possible, we do the same thing today. However, and it is a BIG however, that does not mean that I should be asking people to move from my seat if I happen to come late and someone is sitting there.
Why not? Well, first, the Halacha explicitly states that about 6 feet all around “your seat” is still considered to be “your seat”. So, for the most part, you can sit near your seat and still fulfill this halacha. Secondly, there is no easier way to send people away from a Shul or upset them then to tell a new person or a visitor, “please move that is my seat”. It may be your seat, but the ramifications of taking the seat from someone are much greater than sitting in the exact seat as usual.
On that basis, the Halacha dictates that one should try to sit in the same seat as always.
However, if you come late or some other issue raises the probability that someone may take your seat, the Halacha then dictates that it is better to sit near your seat (it wouldn’t hurt to greet and smile towards them) than to ask someone to move.
Remember, outreach or not, the best way to welcome someone to Shul is “to welcome them” and the best way to chase them away is to “ask them to move”.
Can we imagine Abraham having asked a stranger to move if he was sitting in his special place?
Let’s be the welcoming and friendly Shul we want to be and keep Halacha correctly at the same time.
Important Numbers
